


Introductions - Yogspot 2

by VexedBeverage



Series: Yogspot [2]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: F/M, M/M, for Han, wheelie bin secret new years, xephgor - Freeform, yogspot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 19:36:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13219758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VexedBeverage/pseuds/VexedBeverage
Summary: Sometimes I have to give into the cliché that lives in my heart. Coffee shop AU concerning Tom and Lewis, featuring a meddling Kim and Smith to help their hopeless boss along the way.





	Introductions - Yogspot 2

**Author's Note:**

  * For [letgoofmygreggo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/letgoofmygreggo/gifts).



> This one goes out to the amazing Letgoofmygreggo as part of the Wheelie Bin of Shame's secret New Years 2017 (Cause most of us are awful and missed the Christmas deadline.) 
> 
> I hope you like this one Han! 
> 
> Love you loads

Lewis locked the door, flipping the switch of the newly installed sign a couple of times with a small smile, the neon light bouncing back against the window due to the darkness outside. With a sigh, he turned around and regarded the space. It was done. Lewis glanced down at his watch and huffed, with almost a whole nine hours to spare. 

“Nothing like cutting it fine, boss.” 

Lewis huffed a breath through his nose. “Since when have we ever not cut it fine?” 

Smith shrugged. “You have a point.” He attested before sweeping his eyes around the room. “Looks pretty good, though.” 

Lewis smiled then, tiredness evident on his face and the way it didn’t quite reach his glassy eyes. “Yeah.” He answered. “But I’m sure you or Trott will make it a total disaster in no time.” 

Smith faked a shocked look. “I have no idea what you might be implying about me and my esteemed colleague.” Lewis merely raised his eyebrows at the taller man. 

“Go home, Smith.” Lewis said, unlocking the door he had not long ago locked. He held the door open as Smith pulled on his jacket. 

After patting himself down to check his keys, phone and wallet were still in his pockets, Smith made his way towards the door. “See you in the morning.” 

“Seven o’clock Smith.” Lewis called after him as he exited. “Not half past, or ten past!” Smith didn’t look back, just waved his hand dismissively where Lewis could see. “I mean it!” Lewis called after him again before closing the door and locking up for the night.

Lewis ruffled his own hair as he turned back to the shop, a small smile lingering on his lips as he made his way towards the back. With a last long look around, he shut the lights off and headed through the door towards the stairs leading to his home above the shop. 

Memories ran unbidden through his mind of the last couple of years. Of his and his best friends dream becoming a reality – his dream, he supposed. Simon had thought it a great idea and thrown himself into it with Lewis but soon he lost interest in the business side of things, and though at the beginning Lewis had perhaps resented his friend for abandoning him to take care of the place almost singlehandedly, he was grateful. He had needed that. Now here he was, main owner of a successful business. A business so successful that they had outgrown decent sized premises in their small suburb and now had a large space in a city centre. A business that meant he spent all his time surrounded by games, a business that meant he was always with friends. A business that meant he was paid to play games and hang out. 

He went through his nightly routine, brushing his teeth, changing his clothes and sinking into his bed as he remembered how hard it had been in the beginning. How little he could pay those working for him, most of them being his friends and doing shifts or helping out for nothing other than some free food and coffee. He remembered the first month they made a profit and how elated he felt, knowing somehow that if they could do it one month then there was no reason that they couldn’t do it the next, and the next. 

Lewis pulled the blanket up higher, until it rested under his chin. He should probably do something nice for his employees who had been with him since the beginning. It was they who had slogged with him, posting flyers, setting up social media and a website that had gotten the word out about their little shop. Smith’s ideas were always what got people in and usually once someone had been in once, they became a regular. 

His mind drifted as he started to dose off, more memories passing through his tired head until he finally fell asleep with a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. 

*********

Tom came to consciousness with a jolt, sitting bolt upright in a movement that made him lightheaded for a moment. His hand came up and combed through his mop of brown hair as his brain finally started to kick into gear. He glanced down at his phone and swore, throwing the covers off himself and practically leaping to his feet. He had shut his alarm off in his sleep. Again. 

He tripped as he rushed into the bathroom, his foot catching on the death trap of a rug that he was constantly meaning to throw out but never did. Catching himself on the sink, he grabbed his toothbrush and loaded it up with paste, shoving it into his mouth before looking up at himself in the mirror. 

His hair was a state which, whilst not a new occurrence did remind him once again that he needed to get it cut. His beard could have done with a trim too, but there wasn’t time. He yanked a comb through his hair a couple of times with his left hand as his right continued his ministrations on his teeth. After checking his reflection for white in his beard from the toothpaste, he turned and hurried back to his bedroom. 

He dressed quickly, shoving a beanie on his head to hide the state of his hair, even after combing it. He was glad that his work was so casual and he was able to wear his hat all day. He took the stairs two at a time, pulling his coat on and doing it up on the move with his keys dangling from a novelty keyring clamped between his teeth. 

With long strides, Tom made his way towards the centre of the city ignoring the cold that stung his face. Running on little sleep and no caffeine for the morning was something that he was loathed to do. He could of course get some coffee from the office but just the thought of the cheap, bitter, instant crap they supplied in the kitchen there was enough to make him grimace. Starbucks was out of his way, Costa even more so. As it was, he might make it to work without being late but not if he had to detour around the city centre in search of a palatable beverage. 

He smacked right into the man as he exited one of the shops with a sandwich board held in front of him, skidding to a halt on the pavement with a small exclamation as he crashed into the sign that the other man still held. 

“Fuck! Sorry!” The man holding the sandwich board said before dropping the thing to the floor and looking to Tom. “Didn’t see you there.” 

“It’s fine.” Tom answered, moving to step around the tall man and his sign. 

The man reached out and caught Tom’s arm before he could move away. “No, really. I’m sorry. Not the first impression we wanted to be giving to potential customers on our first day.” He paused a moment when Tom simply regarded his hand on his arm. “How about a free coffee to make up for almost knocking you out with our logo?” 

Tom’s eyebrows knit together as the man finally let go. Tom looked down at the name badge claiming he was the assistant manager. “Free coffee?” 

The man, whose badge proclaimed his name to be simply ‘Smith’ nodded. “Sure thing, any type you want.” He confirmed, reaching out and opening the door motioning for Tom to proceed him inside. 

**********

Kim eyed Lewis as he raised an eyebrow at the man at the counter in front of him. From her position behind her own counter, she couldn’t hear what the man was saying over the whooshing of the dishwasher but she caught the smile that passed between the two. 

Lewis nodded to the man as he accepted his money and deposited it in the till before he walked the short distance towards Kim. “The usual?” She asked, giving Lewis a knowing look. 

“Yes.” He said avoiding her eyes. “And you, shut up.” Lewis added, pointing towards Smith who was lounging against the fridge with his arms crossed. Smith grinned at Lewis, not bothering to contradict his thought that Smith would have a comment or twelve to make about the situation. 

Kim rolled her eyes but turned around to prepare the man’s food with a smirk appearing on her lips as she caught Smith’s own when she turned. It had been weeks since the mysterious man had started coming to the shop. Every weekday morning he appeared at 8.30 like clockwork, every day he would order the same drink and sandwich and throw none too subtle looks at her boss if he was in the shop at the time. As it became apparent that the man would appear at the same time every day, Lewis did the same, coming down the stairs and hanging around when he would have usually still been pottering around his flat. 

Smith found great amusement in the dance the two men were performing, often trying to make himself meld into the background or simply going over to Kim to act as if they were both not watching their boss with concealed smiles. “Is he even trying?” Smith asked the short woman who had given up on watching Lewis and instead was flipping bacon on the grill. 

Kim didn’t bother turning around to look at what was holding Smith’s attention. “Honestly, at this stage I’m not sure.” She paused speaking for a moment as she assembled the sandwich. “I thought that he wasn’t but now I’m starting to think that this is him trying.” 

Smith snorted a laugh. “We should do something.” He said, sounding determined. 

Kim thrust the wrapped food at Smith, catching him hard in the stomach with her arm as she did, causing him to let out a pained groan. “If you so much as think about interfering with them, I-“ 

She didn’t need to finish her sentence, Smith held his hands up in surrender for a moment before taking the food from her. “You don’t need to threaten me.” He assured before walking to Lewis and handing him the customer’s food without a word but with an obvious wink. As soon as Lewis had taken it, Smith walked back over to Kim, carrying on his conversation with her as if it hadn’t been interrupted “Ross already told me that if I didn’t let up on Lewis that he would withhold-“ 

Kim made a gagging sound, stood on her tip toes and slapped a hand to Smith’s mouth. “Do not finish that sentence.” Smith quirked his eyebrows and stuck his tongue out, licking at Kim’s hand. She withdrew it with a disgusted look before wiping it on Smith’s aproned chest. “You are vile.” She announced as Lewis approached the two. 

"I love you too, Quimothy!” Smith proclaimed, catching the small woman in a side hug that due to their height different looked much more like a headlock than anything else. 

“Stop assaulting my chef.” Lewis said, his voice flat. 

Smith let his arm drop from around Kim. “I take it that it didn’t go well?” Smith asked. 

Lewis sighed and sat down on a stool close to the counter where Kim was now leaning. “Batman.” Lewis said simply, fortunately for him the other two knew what he was referring to. 

*********

Smith followed the man into the shop, asking him what kind of coffee he would like for his troubles of almost becoming roadkill on the unforgiving pavement. 

“Flat white.” The man had said, walking over to the counter that Smith hopped over rather than going around and using the opening made for the staff to use. 

“Flat white, coming right up.” Smith said. “Would you like any breakfast or snacks?” 

The man eyed the board but shook his head. “Just the coffee, please.” 

“Drink in or take out?” Smith asked him with a smile as he caught sight of Lewis and Kim in the kitchen out the corner of his eye. 

“Take out.” 

Smith nodded and grabbed up a takeout cup in his left hand, his right grabbing a sharpie from a cup that was being used as some kind of desk tidy for behind the counter. “Name?” 

“You’re kidding, right?” The man asked him in amusement. “I’m the only one in here.” 

Smith uncapped the pen by holding the lit between his lips and pulling, without taking the cap out of his mouth he asked again. “Name?” 

“Lara Croft.” The man deadpanned. 

Smith smirked around the lid in his mouth but wrote, in clear blocky letters across the cup before turning and filling out the order. As the cup started to be filled, Smith turned and gave the man a pointed look until he moved alone the counter to the pickup point, shaking his head in what Smith hoped was amusement. 

Tom spent the next minute or so looking around the shop. Movie and game posters were set in frames along the walls, one whole huge corner of the shop was covered in floor to ceiling bookshelves that were full to the brim with board games and RPG books. Boxes of all sizes sitting side by side. The kitchen was pretty visible from the main part of the shop, only a waist high counter separating it from the rest of the shop, a short black haired girl hummed to herself as she wiped down the counter, throwing Tom a smile when his eye caught hers. 

The sound of a door closing caught Tom’s attention and a man with black hair came into view. Unlike the two other people in the shop, he didn’t wear an apron or have a name badge to let Tom know who he was or what his job in the shop could be. 

“Lara Croft!” Smith called loudly into the almost empty shop, the newcomer raised his brows at Smith but didn’t say anything as Tom stepped forwards and reached for the coffee. Smith grinned first at the black haired man and then at Tom. “Enjoy!” 

 

Tom found it wasn’t all that difficult to get up in the morning anymore, he always seemed to rise with plenty of time to stop into the weird shop across the road from his work for a bacon sandwich and a coffee. 

He supposed that originally it was the way the place had made him feel that first day. He had not been in the best of moods but Smith had cheered him up before heading into work and also caffeinated him which was a big plus on the shops side. When he went back the next day, he once again found Smith inside, leaning against the counter and throwing words over his shoulder at the woman in the kitchen as the third man with dark hair laughed along with them. 

“Hey! You’re back!” Smith greeted with a grin. 

Tom had nodded as he approached the counter. “Flat white and a bacon sandwich, please.” 

“To go?” Smith asked, his hands hovering over the cups. Tom nodded at him. “Name?” Smith asked him. 

Tom huffed an amused breath through his nose answering ‘Pacman’ in a flat voice. 

**********

Lewis had stepped in on the fourth day, saying he was curious if the man would give him his name or carry on the game he had started with Smith. ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ had been the response that Lewis received and scrawled across the cup as he filled the order. 

For weeks it continued, every weekday morning the man came in, Lewis would usually serve him whilst Smith made himself ‘unavailable’ by doing one thing or another and the beanie wearing man would give him another fake name. At first he had stuck to games, but by the third week he moved onto movie characters. 

At least they talked now. Small talk, yes, but it was a start. The man often asked how business was going and Lewis would ask about his own work but never really got much of an answer past ‘It’s alright.’ Sometimes they talked about movies or game, usually prompted by whatever name the man had used that day and it seemed, at least to Kim and Smith that the man was trying to gauge Lewis with the names somehow. 

Smith watched the man leave the shop with his coffee clutched in one hand as he sidled over to Lewis. “You’re staring.” 

Lewis said nothing for a moment, seeming to be ignoring Smith. After a while though, he sighed. “I am going to most definitely regret what I am about to say.” 

“But?” Smith asked, hopefully. 

Lewis didn’t look at Smith as he spoke. “There’s something about him.” 

“His arse, if your wandering eyes were any indication.” Smith said smirking. 

Lewis huffed. “Why am I so bad at this?” 

Kim rounded the counter, coming to stand on the other side, opposite Smith and Lewis. “When was the last time you actually dated?” 

“Not since the Yogspot opened, at least.” Smith answered for the other man.

“Uni.” Lewis finally answered after a pause. “I just, I haven’t had time with the business and making sure everything was okay and working so much-“ He trailed off. 

Kim clapped her hands together. “First order of business is to get him to come back when he has more time.” Smith nodded at her in agreement. “We need to get him here for an evening or on the weekend or something.” 

“And how exactly do we do that?” Lewis asked, throwing caution to the wind. He would be catching shit for this whether he went along with it or not, he might as well know his employees plans rather than stumbling into them blindly at a later date. 

“You ask him.” Smith said. “He always asks about the business and what we do and he seems to be interested, so just ask him to come along one of the nights.” 

**********

Tom had tried not to look too eager when the dark haired owner of the shop had asked him to stop in some time other than first thing in the morning to check the shop out. From their conversations Tom had revealed that he loved games, computer, board, pen and paper RPGs – it didn’t matter, and so when he had told Tom he should come and check out a weekend or evening when the place would be full of people playing, he had said he would love to even going so far as to confess that he didn’t really have many friends in the city and of those he had, none shared his love for the things the shop offered. 

 

The shop looked different to Tom. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, laughter punctuated the air often from various groups of people who sat crowded around tables rolling dice or shuffling through cards. He stood just inside the door for a moment, unsure what he should do until a blast of cold air told him that someone had entered the shop behind him. 

“Hey, dude with no name!” Smith greeted coming to stand next to him along with the two other people Smith had entered with. “Glad you came man, you want a drink?” He asked gesturing to the counter where a man with swept white hair stood talking to Lewis. 

“Er, yeah. Sure.” Tom answered, following after Smith and his friends. 

The redhead lead them, reaching the counter first and using the rung of a tall stool to lift herself up leaning over the counter to plant a quick kiss to the blonde man’s lips. “Latte please.” She said after pushing off from the counter and sitting on the stool. 

“Right away, Sunshine.” The blonde man said with a wink, turning around to the coffee station. 

A second man slid behind the counter, looking to Smith, Tom and the third man who Tom assumed was Smith’s boyfriend due to the fact they were standing with their fingers interlaced. “What can I get you?” The aproned man whose name badge identified him as ‘Caff’ asked. 

“Flat white for my new friend here.” Smith said gesturing to Tom. “And the usual for me and Ross.” 

Tom had to wonder if the whole needing a name thing for the coffee was just something that happened during the week, until he received his coffee in a proper cup on a saucer with a small napkin and the words ‘New Friend’ scrawled across it. 

"You came.” Tom turned to see the man with dark hair who he had managed to deduce either ran or owned the business as both Smith and Kim had called him ‘boss’ on numerous occasions as well as the in depth conversations he had held about how the business was doing whenever Tom asked. 

“Thought I would stop in on my way home from work, since you invited me.” Tom confirmed, busying himself with taking a drink as soon as the words were out of his mouth so he didn’t ramble on like his traitorous brain wanted him to. 

“If I’d have known that was all it was going to take, I would have invited you weeks ago.” The man said, Tom struggled against himself to keep looking into his brown eyes as he spoke but had to look away once he had finished, feeling heat flood his face. 

Tom wasn’t sure what to say back to the dark haired man, buying some time by clearing his throat. “It’s warm in here.” He said, berating himself in his mind as he said it and busying himself by shedding himself of his coat and draping it over the back of a chair to his right, making the decision to sit down rather than standing awkwardly in the middle of the shop. The dark haired man stood for a moment before the shouting and laughing of a group of people in the corner caught his attention for a moment. Once his attention was back on Tom, Tom gestured to the chair opposite him. “Can I maybe buy you a drink?” 

“Tea, please.” The man answered as Tom rose to his feet. Tom took a step away as the man sat down before he turned back. 

“Are they going to ask me for your name?” Tom asked, looking down at the dark haired man. 

The dark haired man offered a small smile. “Lewis.” He supplied, regarding Tom with what seemed like curiosity. 

Tom nodded and returned Lewis’ smile, holding a hand out. “Nice to meet you Lewis, I’m Tom.” 

Lewis pushed himself to his feet and took Tom’s hand. 

**********

Kim nudged Smith with her elbow in his side. Smith grunted and opened his mouth ready to send a barrage of profanity at the small woman but she just pointed to a table near the centre of the room where Lewis and the guy with no name stood. 

They both watched as the man offered Lewis his hand. They watched Lewis take it in his own and the brief movement of their arms as they shook hands. They also watched as neither man let go of the others hand once the shake was compete, instead Lewis was grinning and there was a decidedly pink tinge high on his cheeks from whatever the unnamed man had said to him. 

Smith held a hand up and Kim obliged, slapping her own against it in celebration.


End file.
